|   IS A POWER CONDITIONER A MUST HAVE FOR HOME THEATER? | ghs1998
Aug 14, 2001 1:46 PM | | I am totally rebuilding my home theater/hifi setup, and i was wondering if a Power Conditioner, such as the Monster series, are a "must have" for this sort of setup. Does a power conditioner really add (or subtract) that much concerning the makeup of a system's sound? I have my equipment running through a regular power strip with surge protection but I still hear a noticeable pop in my sub when my in room fridge turns on. Is this unstoppable, or would a power conditioner solve this problem. Any info on the subject would be greatly appreciated. |
| Not sure about a "line conditioner"... | Josh Studrawa
Aug 14, 2001 2:01 PM | | But it looks like you need something more than a mere strip. Try out some more solid units like APC items as well as Monster. And since the regular strips can't cut it, PLEASE test things out and make sure you can return them (ie. the Monster Challenge at Tweeter lets you return any Monster item if you don't like it, no quesions). You should be able to get it smoothed out without a ton of cash. Or if your wiring is that sensitive, you may want a dedicated power line installed just for HT.
Hope you get it fixed cheap :) |
| PowerConditioner are too expensive for what they do. | Smokey
Aug 14, 2001 3:06 PM | | Hi ghs
Power conditional will not effect your system sonicly. It is there only to smooth out the power line fluctuation that reaching the receiver power supply. But the catch here is that component's power supplies were designed with this fluctuation in mind and it is normal.
Also the Component's power supply will convert the voltage that is receiving from the plug to DC value so in effect circuitry inside the component will not see this AC line fluctuation since they are fed a constant value of DC from power supply.
Subs internal circuitry are bare bone and most of the time the manufacture will not include extra circuitry to filter out AC line noise effectively such as popping. So I would not really worry about the pop.
Josh also had couple of pointers as to run a dedicate line from fuse box for you home theater or for cheaper route try to plug in your refrigerator to different plug in the house that is not on the same circuit as your home theater. Also having a good ground is always a plus in your home theater as it will get rid of hums and might cure your poping problem.
Good luck |
| re: IS A POWER CONDITIONER A MUST HAVE FOR HOME THEATER? | singha
Aug 14, 2001 3:27 PM | | I bought a power conditioner (not Monster) a while back and immediately notice a difference: more bass. I live in a old apt building where the wirings have probably been neglected for a long time. Whether you need one is possibly dependant on the conditions of your house wirings/electric supply. The only way to be sure is go out and buy one from a place where you are sure you can return it. Try it out at home and if you don't find any differences then take it back. |
| re: IS A POWER CONDITIONER A MUST HAVE FOR HOME THEATER? | gflip
Aug 15, 2001 7:42 AM | | A line conditioner won't solve your problem, and they aren't necessary unless you have very dirty AC supply to your house. Your AC may be dirty if there are industrial sites in your vicinity. The best way to find out is hook up a scope and watch the waveform for a while.
For your pop, put the fridge on a different circuit than your HT. |
| Most certainly NOT | woodman
Aug 15, 2001 8:26 AM | | ghs:
A power conditioner is a long long way from being a must have component except for the teensy-tiny number of folks that live where the electric utility does not provide reasonable power. When I say reasonable power, I mean power that stays within about 10-15 volts of "normal" (120v) most of the time, and when variations DO occur, they are gradual and not instantaneous. If your electrical power is reasonable by that definition, then you don't really need a power conditioner. For most people, they are overkill personified. Even when your power is "dirty", a power conditioner is not necessary to clean it up, since the power supply circuits in the components that we use are fully capable of doing that job. If they weren't, then people everywhere would constantly be seeing and hearing that dirty power come through the sound and pictures that we enjoy every day.
Power protection devices on the other hand, are something that everyone should have. That is, protection from voltage "spikes" and "surges" and dare I say it? ... LIGHTNING! But such protective devices can be had for FAR less than the power conditioners and most also come with "insurance" that will cover your loss should they fail to protect you and you lose a piece of gear or two. I'm not talking about cheap "surge protector" power strips that sell everywhere for $15 on up. Those have very little worth since they don't provide much protection - don't provide you any insurance, etc. I'm talking about real protection devices that generally cost $75 to $125 that will actually protect your equipment from electrical damage.
I recommend Panamax as a good manufacturer of such products. But there are of course others.
woodman |
| Woods, you mean as simple as this... | Josh Studrawa
Aug 15, 2001 8:58 AM | | http://www.panamax.com/products/ProductPage.asp?sName=PM8
$100,000 protection for $30? How high do we need to go? $100k seems fine. Or something that looks like a small subwoofer? |
| Woods, you mean as simple as this... | mtrycrafts
Aug 15, 2001 10:32 AM | | But what does the fine print read? Only after your home owners insurance:-) |
| DUDE..TURN OFF CAPS--OR "I RECKON THERE WILL BE A "HANGIN"!!!!.. | MILO
Aug 15, 2001 11:24 AM | | CAPS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE "LYNCHIN'S IN DIS HERE ROOM"!! HEH HEH!
JUST KIDDING... CAP TO YOUR HEARTS CONTENT.... |
| Woods, you mean as simple as this... | Smokey
Aug 15, 2001 3:39 PM | | ......and even after that they probably want proof backed by scientific data (:^)) |
| Woods, you mean as simple as this... | woodman
Aug 15, 2001 9:20 PM | | Wow, this is a new model which I've had no direct experience with. This is an extremely low price for such a device and I would tend to want to investigate it a bit further. But from what I know of the company I would expect it to live up to its promises. I have found Panamax to be a very honest and reliable company to deal with, and they would be among the very last companies that I would expect any lying or chicanery of any sort from.
This also serves to accentuate the price/performance ratio of such products, and why many manufacturers are guilty of trying to justify their high prices by telling the gullible that these products will produce wondrous improvements in sound and pictures, which of course relies on the ABEs of the individual to experience these effects.
woodman |
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